Integrated fuel burner



June 11, 1963 w. M. LOWRY 3,

INTEGRATED FUEL BURNER Filed Sept. 26, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 \ot j 60 INVIENTOR 1Z y-7 WI21erM.Low1y,

ATTORNEY June 11, 1963 w. M. LOWRY 3,

INTEGRATED FUEL BURNER Filed Sept. 26, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -l INVENTOR 2 2 Waler M.Lowry,

, BY ZXM2ZM United States Patent Office 3,093,185 Patented June 11, 1963 3,093,185 INTEGRATED FUEL BURNER Walter M. Lowry, Cocoa Beach, Fla., assignor to Daisy Seaman Lowry, Cocoa Beach, Fla. Filed Sept. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 58,228 3 Claims. (Cl. 158-11) This invention relates to an easily convertible burner for gaseous or liquid fuels.

More particularly the invention pertains to a burner capable of being quickly and easily converted from a liquid fuel burner to a gaseous fuel burner by merely manipulating or adjusting some of the parts and controls, that is without removing, adding or altering any part.

Specifically the invention is hereindisclosed as being embodied in a conically dished refractory member defining the floor of the combustion chamber (and also serving as the vaporizing pan for liquid fuels), a hollow inverted conical head coaxially and vertically adjustably spaced above and within said dished member, said head being mounted on a downwardly extending coaxial conduit having a telescopic portion permitting and controlling the vertical adjustment of the head and thereby the depth of the combustion chamber between said member and said head, a blower for supplying air through said conduit to said head for issuing therefrom through jet apertures in the lower conical surface of the head, valved conduits for selectively introducing liquid fuel into said dished mem her or gaseous fuel into said air conduit as a mixing chamber therefor, means for varying the rate of flow of air through said air conduit, a pilot flame igniter for igniting gas, an arc-type igniter for igniting liquid-fuels, and other generally conventional temperature-controlling and safety devices as desired.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a simple, rugged and relatively inexpensive apparatus that is easily and quickly convertible for burning either gaseous or liquid fuels, without requiring the addition, removal or alteration of any of its parts.

It is another object to provide such an apparatus in which the combustion chamber is easily adjustable in size to increase the efliciency of the apparatus when converted for burning each type of fuel.

It is the overall object to generally improve the design and efiiciency of apparatus for burning either liquid or gaseous fuels.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the following detailed description proceeds.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a partially schematic perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 2 is .an enlarged side elevational view of the burner proper of FIGURE 1, in vertical medial longitudinal section, showing the parts adjusted for burning liquid fuels,

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the disclosure of FIGURE 2, but showing the burner elements adjusted for burning gases,

FIGURE 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary elevation of the ai-r-flow-controlling valve in section taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the showing in FIGURE 4, in section taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 4,

FIGURE 6 is a schematic diagram of the system arranged to function as a gaseous-fuel burner, and

FIGURE 7 is a schematic diagram of the system arranged to function as a liquid-fuel burner.

With reference now to the drawings, the numeral 11 generally designates the burner system as a whole, which for convenience of illustration is shown in FIG. 1 as being mounted on a base plate or slab 13. The burner unit 49 connected with the gas supply pipe 35 so as to byproper, generally designated at 15, comprises a conically dished member 17 formed of cast iron or other suitable refractory material. Member 17 may be supported from the base 13 or other supporting structure by the rods 18 threaded at their upper ends and screwed into vertically bored and tapped bosses 17b. Rods 18 are locked at desired elevation by lock nuts 17n. The lower ends of the rods 18 may rest upon or be fastened to the base structure 13 in any desired manner.

Member 17 constitutes the lower portion or floor of the combustion chamber of the burner 15. Member 17 is desirably strengthened at its periphery by being expanded into the horizontally disposed flange best shown in FIG. 2 and is further strengthened by the vertically and radially disposed external ribs 17r cast integrally thereon. The bottom of the member 17 is truncated by a disc-like horizontal wall 17w thickened at the portion 17! to add strength to the structure. The Wall 17w is centrally apertured to receive the vertical reach of a'right-angularly bent air conduit 19, the end of the horizontal reach of which is fixed to the tubular outlet part of the electric motor driven blower 21, as being inserted into said tubular outlet part or otherwise coupled thereto.

The tubular outlet par-t 21t of the blower 21 has mounted therein a circular disc 23 which constitutes a butterfly-type valve for controlling the rate of flow of air from the blower 21 intothe air conduit 19. Disc 23 may be conveniently supported for rotation about a vertical axis by having its upper edge welded to a nut 27 in turn screwed onto the lower end of a screw 25, the parts 23 and 27 being welded together as a unit by welds 23w. The screw 25 has a web 25w (FIG. 4) welded to one side of and under the head of screw 25 to serve asa stop. The stop 25w moves in an arc of approximately between stop-engaging pins 29, which arrest the movements of the valve disc 23 at its two extreme positions corresponding to the fully open and the fully closed positions thereof shown in phantom, in FIG. 5. The kerf 25k in the head of screw 25 provides a convenient means for engagement by .a screwdriver to adjust the valve disc 23 to any desired valving position. I

A solenoid operated valve 31, when energized, admits gas supplied thereto by a conduit 35 into a conduit 37.

Conduit 37 directs the gas into the discharge tubular part 211 ofthe blower 21 where it is mixed with air from said ,blower for conduction through the air conduit 19 to a provide a depressed annular seat 41s to receive the rim of a circular cover plate 43. Plate 43 closes the upwardly open chamber defined by the cavity in the member 41. This forms a chamber 410 into which the gas and air mixture is conducted under pressure by the conduit 19.

The downwardly facing wall of the part 4-1 is provided with a multiplicity of apertures 41a to serve as jet orifices through which the gas and air mixture is forced to produce a multiplicity of flames covering said downwardly facing surface, when said jets are ignited by a pilot frame next to be described.

The pilot flame is supplied with gas through a jet opening 17 formed in the lower burner member .17. Gas is directed to said jet opening by a tube 45 connected to the adjustable valve structure 47 (of generally conventional construction). Gas is fed to the valve 47 by the conduit pass the solenoid operated valve 31 (so that the pilot flame will be constantly burning). A manually operable cut-off valve 49a is provided in the conduit 49.

Valve 47 includes a thermostatic switch 47t inserted in the valve circuit by the conductors 51 and 52 to serve as a safety device to prevent opening of valve 31 in the event the pilot light becomes extinguished from any cause. Thermostatic device 47t derives its heat from the pilot flame by conduction through the tube 45. Thermostatically controlled switch 47! not only interrupts the circuit of the gas valve 31 to prevent opening thereof under the dangerous conditions above mentioned, but also produces a second safety feature (in known manner) by being mechanically coupled to the valve for the pilot flame as indicated by the schematically shown coupling 470 in FIG. 6) whereby extinguishing of the pilot flame will automatically shut off the dangerous and wasteful supply of gas to said flame.

The gas-burning functioning of the apparatus 11 is schematically illustrated by the circuit and system diagram of FIG. 6, in which the manually settable selector switch 53 is shown with its switch arm 55 turned to engage the contact bearing the legend Gas. In this hook-up of the circuitry, when the (room) thermostatic switch 57 calls for heat by closing, current flows from the power input lead designated plus-or-minus through thermostatic switch 57, selector switch 53 and thence through lead 51 to the safety switch 47t, which latter when in its normally closed conditon completes the circuit to the solenoid or electromotive part 31m of the gas valve 31 to open the same. Part 31m is connected to the grounded power supply conductor 60 of the apparatus by the lead 61. Simultaneously the branch conductors 58b and 6% complete a parallel circuit to the motor 21m of the blower 21 to supply air in the quantity and at the pressure desired to be used for mixing in the conduit 19 with the gas introduced thereinto by the gas line 37. The gas-air mixture is then conducted by conduit 19 to the head member 37 for issuance through the jet apertures 41a for burning in the downwardly directed flames above described. It will be understood that the pilot flame burns continuously during the operation of the burner.

The circuit and system diagram of FIG. 7 illustrates the functional cooperation of the parts when the apparatus is adjusted for burning liquid fuels. When the thermostatic switch 57 closes, current is directed through the conductor 58 to the selector switch 53 and by its adjustable arm 55 to the conductor 63, to a solenoid part 65m of an oilflow-controlling valve 65 and/ or pump if necessary), and thence to the grounded conductor 60 through a lead 67 to open said valve for allowing (or producing) flow of oil through a conduit 69. Conduit 69 directs the oil to the vaporizer pan, formed by the lower burner member 17, through an inlet bore 17i formed therein. The liquid fuel runs down to bottom of the conical chamber in member 17 and is ignited by an arc struck between electrodes 71 and 72. Said electrodes are supplied with a high-voltage low-amperage current from a transformer 73 by conductors 74. A branch circuit 63! and 60! energizes the transformer input coil. As in the disclosure of FIG. 6, the thermostatic switch 57 directly energizes the motor 21m of the blower 21 through the branch circuit 58b and 60b to force air into the head 39, from which it issues through its jet apertures 41a to support the combustion of the vaporized and vaporizing liquid fuel in the space between the burner members 17 and 41.

For improving the efiiciency of the apparatus in its alternative arrangements for burning liquid or gaseous fuels, it is desirable that the head 39 be made easily and quickly adjustable to vary somewhat the spacing thereof relative to the lower burner member 17, since closer spacing is desirable for burning liquid fuels because the air and vapor mixing here occurs after the air leaves the head jet apertures. To this end the head 39 is provided with a downwardly extending coaxial sleeve 39.:

which telescopically engages upon the upper end of the air conduit 19. Sleeve 39s has cut therein a bayonet slot 3% having the shape disclosed in FIGS. 2 and 3 to produce a pair of seats for cooperating at diiferent elevations with a pin 19p fixed to conduit 19. The two seats of the slot 3% are selectively brought into engagement with the pin 19p by a slight rotation of the head 39 after the same has been raised sufficiently to permit such rotation as to bring the desired seat over the pin. Thereafter lower ing of the head brings the other seat into head-supporting engagement with said pin. FIG. 2 shows the head in the lowered oil-burning position thereof, while FIG. 3 shows the head supported in its elevated gas-burning position.

While but one form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many minor modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A quickly and easily convertible burner for gaseous or liquid fuels, comprising: a horizontally disposed lower burner member having an upwardly facing depression therein, means for feeding liquid fuel into said depression whereby the latter serves as a vaporizing pan for said fuel, a hollow upper burner member overlying and spaced from said lower burner member and provided with a multiplicity of jet apertures in and distributed over a major portion of the area of the wall defining its lower face, means for supplying air under pressure to said upper burner member to issue through said jet apertures to support combustion of vaporized fuel in the space between said members, valve means for introducing gaseous fuel into said means for supplying air so as to mix with the air to produce a combustible mixture for issuance from said jet apertures to produce downwardly directed flames, and at least one igniter means disposed between said members, said burner members being relatively vertically adjustably interconnected so as to increase or decrease the spacing therebetween and thereby the vertical dimension of the combustion chamber provided by said spacing for increased efiiciency when converting to a gaseous or liquid fuel burning arrangement, respectively, of the apparatus.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, said means for supplying air to said upper burner member being a tubular conduit extending upwardly medially through said lower burner member and including telescoping portions and means for holding said telescoping portions in ad justed vertical positions corresponding to increased or decreased spacing of said burner members for converting said burner to burning gaseous or liquid fuels respectively.

3. In a quickly and easily convertible burner apparatus for gaseous or liquid fuels, a burner subcombination comprising: a conically dished lower burner member formed of refractory material, an oil conduit terminating in the interior of said lower burner member, a hollow inverted conical upper burner member of refractory material substantially coaxially disposed above said lower burner member and spaced therefrom to define a combustion chamber therebetween, a vertically disposed substantially coaxial conduit for supplying air to the hollow interior of said upper burner member to issue from a multiplicity of jet apertures in its lower face, said coaxial conduit passing upwardly through the bottom of said lower burner member and supporting said upper burner member, a gas supply conduit connected to said coaxial conduit, said coaxial conduit comprising vertically adjustably interconnecting telescoping portions to provide relative adjustment of the spacing between said members to vary the vertical dimension of the combustion chamber whereby a larger or smaller chamber is respectively provided for use with gaseous or liquid fuels.

(References on following page) References Qitefl in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sheridan Oct. 18, 1921 Sherman et a1. June 19, 1928 5 Moreton June 10, 1930 De Laney July 21, 1942 Kaufman Feb. 27, 1945 6 Sherman Nov. 19, 1946 Young Apr. 3, 1951 Norman Oct. 20, 1953 Broady Nov. 10, 1953 Harris Dec. 22, 1953 Young May 22, 1956 Loebel et a1. June 21, 1960 

1. A QUICKLY AND EASILY CONVERTIBLE BURNER FOR GASEOUS OR LIQUID FUELS, COMPRISING: A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED LOWER BURNER MEMBER HAVING AN UPWARDLY FACING DEPRESSION THEREIN, MEANS FOR FEEDING LIQUID FUEL INTO SAID DEPRESSION WHEREBY THE LATTER SERVES AS A VAPORIZING PAN FOR SAID FUEL, A HOLLOW UPPER BURNER MEMBER OVERLYING AND SPACED FROM SAID LOWER BURNER MEMBER AND PROVIDED WITH A MULTIPLICITY OF JET APERTURES IN AND DISTRIBUTED OVER A MAJOR PORTION OF THE AREA OF THE WALL DEFINING ITS LOWER FACE, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AIR UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID UPPER BURNER MEMBER TO ISSUE THROUGH SAID JET APERTURES TO SUPPORT COMBUSTION OF VAPORIZED FUEL IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS, VALVE MEANS FOR INTRODUCING GASEOUS FUEL INTO SAID MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AIR SO AS TO MIX WITH THE AIR TO PRODUCE A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE FOR ISSUANCE FROM SAID JET APERTURES TO PRODUCE DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED FLAMES, AND AT LEAST ONE IGNITER MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS, SAID BURNER MEMBERS BEING RELATIVELY VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLY INTERCONNECTED SO AS TO INCREASE OR DECREASE THE SPACING THEREBETWEEN AND THEREBY THE VERTICAL DIMENSION OF THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER PROVIDED BY SAID SPACING FOR INCREASED EFFICIENCY WHEN CONVERTING TO A GASEOUS OR LIQUID FUEL BURNING ARRANGEMENT, RESPECTIVELY, OF THE APPARATUS. 